


I saw my future in your eyes

by Shadowcrawler, unwindmyself



Series: follow me down the rabbit hole [20]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bisexuality, Collars, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cunnilingus, Dom/sub, Edging, F/F, Femslash, Gags, Grief/Mourning, Handcuffs, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Masturbation, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Plans For The Future, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Praise Kink, Rope Bondage, Spreader Bars, Talking, Team as Family, Tenderness, Vacation, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26577070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcrawler/pseuds/Shadowcrawler, https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: Several years have passed. After Fitz's death, Jemma and Daisy take a much-needed vacation.
Relationships: Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Series: follow me down the rabbit hole [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/75997
Kudos: 13
Collections: Women of the MCU





	I saw my future in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is about what would happen if, several years following the series finale, Fitz died of heroic brain cancer. I (unwindmyself) addressed this plot point in some Bioquake Week shorts, but this is going into it in a lot more detail. This means more discussion of the polyamorous dynamics between Fitz, Jemma, Daisy, Danny, and some of the others. This means a more thorough exploration of Jemma and Alya's relationship with each other and also with Daisy and Danny. This also means discussing a lot of things, many of them not so kind, about Fitz. Grief is weird and processing grief often means processing feelings of anger, and neither of these two gals have had the chance to really discuss some of the things they have been recently angry with Fitz about, so they do that. Sorry to this man.
> 
> The timeline/order of events involving this and the other stories:  
> 1\. The first two segments of this fic  
> 2\. [The team talking after the funeral](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412433/chapters/64586455)  
> 3\. The rest of this fic  
> 4\. [Daisy taking Jemma and Alya to an ocean planet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412433/chapters/64453498)  
> 5\. [Jemma and Alya moving to the States](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412433/chapters/64649506)  
> 6\. [Discussing ages with Alya](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412433/chapters/64343872)
> 
> This is the tentative finale of our canon-adjacent Skimmons kink series. Thank you for reading!

_> >ok, so our flight lands around seven pm. we’ll try to eat on the plane so you guys don’t have to worry about that too much. and we can help with any last-minute funeral errands and stuff you need too.  
_ _> >Danny says he likes airplane food and I am reconsidering our entire goddamn relationship. he’s lucky we need him for kiddo-wrangling. :P  
_ _> >I love you. how are you for real?_

 _> >There’s going to be an abundance of food either way. Neighbours have been bringing things by nonstop, not to mention Muireall keeps winding up in the kitchen because it’s a way to keep her hands busy (and, well, Alya’s picky and impossible to resist).  
_ _> >Everyone is allowed their strange preferences, I suppose? See also: Cheez Whiz.  
_ _> >I love you too. I’m   
_ _> >I’m numb, honestly. We got everything sorted far in advance, so I haven’t even had menial tasks to occupy myself with. Alya keeps crying, but I feel like I can’t cry while she’s doing, because she needs me to… I don’t know. _

_> >oh ok, never mind then. we will be happy to eat some of your food.  
_ _> >and excuse you, cheez whiz is fucking amazing  
_ _> > <3 hang on a little longer. I’ve got you._

 _> >I can’t vouch for the neighbours’ dishes, but Muireall is a decent cook, and she’ll be flattered if you eat her food and enjoy it (I haven’t had much of an appetite, so I haven’t been able to help with that, unfortunately.)  
_ _> >It’s certainly a product you can consume.  
_ _> >Thank you. And really, thank Danny too. He’s been wonderful about all of this strangeness._

 _> >you know me, I’ll eat pretty much anything once.   
_ _> >I will. he sends his love too._

_> >I’m glad you have him, you know._

_> >yeah, me too. got lucky, no pun intended. but I’ve missed you._

_> >I’ve missed you too. I wish  
_ _> >Well. You’ll be here soon._

_> >yep. gonna hug the shit out of you and do some other stuff too. _

_> >It’s the thought of that that’s keeping me going.  
_ _> >Not to put pressure on you._

_> >that is literally my job as girlfriend. emotional support and shit. _

_> >I know, I just don’t want to be a bother. _

_> >you are not a bother, Jem. I’ve got you._

* * *

“I’m glad that’s over,” Daisy mutters to Danny as they’re helping put away the last of the folding chairs. “I mean, it was a nice service and all, and it’ll be nice to hang out with the others before Jemma and I leave tomorrow, but holy shit I had no idea funeral planning was so complicated.”

“It’s no picnic,” Danny agrees. “But hey, you’re home free for a week tomorrow.”

“True.” Daisy hoists the chairs she’s holding onto the storage rack with a grunt. “Thanks again for, y’know, going along with all this.”

He shrugs and grins. “I told you, I did some of this before with Peggy and Angie. No big deal. Just text me every now and again while you’re gone and I’ll be happy as a clam.”

“You’re so corny,” she sighs, kissing him on the cheek. “C’mon, we still have to drive back to the house.”

They head back to the pastor’s office, where Muireall and Jemma are thanking Pastor Duncan. “We really do appreciate your helping out,” Jemma is saying. “I can’t imagine this was exactly your usual, ah, type of service.” Since he’s a pastor of the United Free Church of Scotland and, well, Fitz was an unrepentant atheist who insisted that they play clips from multiple television shows between readings and speeches.

He gives her a kind smile. “Muireall’s family is our family. I’m glad I could help celebrate your husband’s life. He was clearly a remarkable man.”

Jemma manages to smile in return, albeit shakily. “He was,” she nods. “There’s not anyone quite like him, and I don’t know if there ever will be.”

“Of course not,” agrees Duncan. “Please come and see me if you’d ever like to talk about him. I’d be happy to listen.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says, forcing herself to make polite eye contact (it doesn’t look like forcing to anyone but Daisy, who knows how to recognize those things). “I appreciate the offer.”

“There’s always a community here for you, dear,” Muireall says kindly, laying a hand on Jemma’s arm. “Even if you aren’t interested in all of it.”

“I know,” Jemma says with a weak laugh. “It really does mean the world.” Then, possibly to redirect the conversation before it veers more specifically into her own atheism, she turns her head and says, “Oh, Daisy! Danny. Everything’s put away?”

“Yup,” Daisy says, coming over to rest a hand on Jemma’s back. “We can head back home, if you want. I’m sure Bobbi and Hunter are more than ready for us to take Alya back.” They, along with the rest of the SHIELD crew, headed back to the house with Alya right after the funeral. This was partially to ensure that Jemma and Muireall wouldn’t feel rushed while tying up any post-funeral loose ends, and partially because “Uncle Hunter” had insisted on getting more kid-time.

“I’m more than ready too, honestly,” Jemma admits. It’s been an hour or so since the service ended, and that’s all the time she wants to spend apart from her daughter today. “Is there anything else you need from us, Pastor Duncan? Or could we…?”

“Yes, of course, go on,” Duncan says, not unkindly. “Muireall, I believe you said you wanted to stay and talk a bit longer?”

Muireall nods. This is pretty clearly her time to discuss her son’s death in faith-based ways that the service didn’t get into. “You go on back to the house,” she says to Jemma and the others. “I’ll catch up soon.”

“Alright,” Jemma says, leaning in to kiss Muireall’s cheek. “See you in a little while.” Then she turns fully to Daisy and Danny, nodding for them to head out. (She doesn’t want to be _too_ demonstrative in her affections with Daisy in front of the pastor, not because she’s ashamed but because she just doesn’t want to explain it to someone who likely won’t understand.)

Danny, understanding the unspoken dynamic, gets in the driver’s seat and lets them have the backseat. Daisy reaches over and grabs Jemma’s hand once they’re seated. “Hey,” she says. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Jemma says, and she lets out a heavy sigh. “Thank you for being so… you know. Both of you,” she adds, trying to meet Danny’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “It’s nothing short of phenomenal.”

“Yeah, of course,” Danny says, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “The hell else am I gonna do, refuse to come give you a break? You deserve this, Jemma.”

“I don't know,” Jemma says. What she means by this, of course, is that she doesn’t let herself expect kindnesses so she’s less disappointed when she doesn’t receive them, but while she’s pretty sure Danny understands that, it seems a little too much to say to him outright. “I’m just grateful. I know Muireall could handle it by herself, she’s been a wonder with Alya, but…”

“But you both deserve a break,” Daisy finishes firmly. “Plus, he’s been needing to take some time off too. _Right_?” she asks Danny, mock-sternly.

He grins. “Yes ma’am. Very excited to only have to think about dress-up, coloring, and science experiments for awhile.”

Jemma grins. “I hope you brought your swim trunks, too,” she says. “You’ll be spending a minimum of an hour in the pool every day.”

“I assumed. Daisy showed me pictures of the holograms you rigged up in the bottom of that thing, I’m pretty excited to see it for myself.”

Jemma smiles, a little wistful. “It’s a very interesting setup,” she nods. “Fitz, he - he wasn’t about to get in the pool himself, but he did like setting that up. It was a fun project for him.”

“It’s so cool,” Daisy agrees. “Like, I’m really not into VR shit for, y’know, reasons, but this is harmless and Alya loves it.”

“She’s going to be thrilled to have someone new to take on the tour,” Jemma says. “Be sure to make her surface for air before she tries to explain anything, though. She still gets excited and forgets sometimes.”

“Noted,” he says with a laugh. “I’ll be careful, don’t worry.”

* * *

The next twenty-eight hours pass in a blur of drinks and stories and food and Alya showing off and Muireall cheerfully interrogating her son’s friends, and it’s not pleasant, exactly, because they _are_ all mourning Fitz, but it’s nice having everyone around and it’s sort of disappointing when everyone goes their separate way after brunch in the morning. 

Finally it’s just Jemma and Alya and Daisy and Danny and Muireall, though, and Alya tugs on her mother’s sleeve, asking, “Mummy, why do you keep looking at the clock?”

Jemma falters. It’s not like she and Daisy have a set schedule, they’re not catching a commercial flight, but she doesn’t want Alya to think she’s eager to be out of here, either. “Well,” she says carefully, “Daisy and I are heading out soon.”

Alya rolls her eyes. “I know that,” she says. “That’s why Uncle Danny’s here.”

“I don’t want us to leave too late, is all,” Jemma says.

Daisy, noticing Jemma’s uncertainty, adds, “Your mom’s excited for the trip I’m taking her on, but she doesn’t want you to feel too sad or left out that she’s leaving. She’s trying to be considerate.”

Jemma nods gracefully and invites Alya to climb in her lap. “It’s still alright that we’re going, right?” she asks. “I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”

Alya scrunches up her nose. “You can only go if you promise you’ll come back,” she says, sounding almost shy about it.

“Of course I will!” Jemma exclaims. “I promise I will. We have some work to do, but then I’ll be back with you, and your gran and your Uncle Danny will be here in the meantime.”

“I _know_ ,” Alya repeats, sounding slightly aggravated but in the cutest possible way. She turns to face Daisy and says, “You have to promise too.”

“I promise your mom and I will come home safe,” Daisy says, very seriously.

“Alright,” Alya says. “Then you’re allowed to go. You have to promise not to be sad while you’re gone, too. Daddy wouldn’t want you to.”

Of course this makes sadness flicker across Jemma’s face, but she wraps her arms around Alya and kisses the top of her head to hide that. “I’ll try my best,” she promises.

“My job is to help your mom not be sad,” Daisy says, reaching over to ruffle Alya’s hair. “I take it really seriously.”

“Good,” Alya declares, then she hops out of Jemma’s lap, looking determined as she heads out of the room and calls over her shoulder, “I’m going to get Gran, then.” Since Muireall is doing the washing-up, at her own insistence.

“She’s really alright with it, right?” Jemma asks in a fretful whisper. “She’s not just pretending?”

“I think so, yeah. Kids are brutally honest if they don’t like something. She’s a smart kid, I think she understands you need some time to yourself.” Daisy grabs Jemma’s hand and squeezes it. “It’s okay to need some time away, y’know.”

Jemma makes a face, the same nose-scrunching one Alya just did. “I just don’t want her to feel like she’s unimportant,” she says. “Or like I’m abandoning her.”

“You’re not,” Danny chimes in. He’s been sitting on the couch playing on his phone, after having been cheerfully rebuffed when he offered to help Muireall. “Everyone grieves differently, and I think it’ll be good for her to be able to process some of that with someone other than you. And same for you, too, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says, and it’s clearly for more than just that observation.

Alya troops back into the room, hand-in-hand with her gran. “Mummy and Daisy need to leave soon,” she announces. “You should say see you later.” Because she doesn’t like the word “goodbye” much these days.

Muireall smiles and opens her arms to Jemma. “You’ve earned a bit of a reprieve,” she says warmly. “Go, enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Muireall,” Jemma murmurs, hugging back just a little too fiercely. “I’ll have my phone if you need me for anything, alright? Don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“I won’t,” Muireall says, “but I think we’ll have it well in hand.”

“We will,” Alya agrees seriously.

Jemma steps back, smiling wryly. “I trust all of you,” she says. “Can I have a hug, sweetheart?”

The second Jemma has leaned down to Alya’s level, Alya flings her arms around her. “Have fun, Mummy,” she says. “You deserve fun.”

“C’mere,” Daisy says, opening her arms for Alya to step into and giving her a squeeze. “We’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Alya says. “You have to bring me pictures of the ocean, too.”

“Will do,” Daisy promises. Then she glances at Muireall, suddenly feeling awkward, and coughs. “Uh, Jemma, we’d probably better go grab the bags and get them packed up, huh?”

“Oh, come here,” Muireall says, laughing and sighing at the same time in the most cheerfully disgruntled way. “You’re family too, you’re not getting out of here without a hug.”

So Daisy does, still feeling a little awkward. “Thanks. Anything you want me to bring back?” she asks, half-joking.

“Yourselves, in better spirits,” Muireall says. “I trust you to take care of my daughter-in-law, hm?”

Daisy makes a mental note to ask Jemma how much, exactly, Muireall knows. “I will.”

“And I’ll take care of your boyfriend,” Alya tells Daisy, grinning. She drags the vowels out in “boyfriend,” like she’s trying to be playful.

“You better,” Daisy says, winking at her and blowing Danny a kiss. “He gets into all kinds of trouble if he’s by himself.”

“What?” he asks, mouth falling open in mock offense. “Excuse me, Ms. Johnson, I am a perfect angel!”

“A perfect something, maybe,” Jemma teases. “Let’s head out, then.”

* * *

They’re somewhere above France when Jemma sighs and says, more to the window than to Daisy, “I feel impossibly guilty.”

“Why?” Daisy kind of knows why, but it’s helpful to let Jemma talk through her feelings.

“I was able to create an antiserum for an unknown extraterrestrial illness in only a few hours and while infected, but I couldn’t figure out a workaround for Fitz’s cancer, even with years to prepare,” Jemma mumbles. “I should have been able to. I should have been able to figure out how to prevent the radiation from affecting him in the first place.”

“I mean, you’re not the only person in the world trying to cure cancer,” Daisy points out. “Isn’t it just kind of the thing that will eventually get you even if you manage to survive everything else?”

“So it could have gotten him thirty years from now,” Jemma argues. “Not… he knew the risks, but he took them anyway, and he took them for me. I should have been able to reciprocate.”

“Honey,” Daisy says, so Jemma will pay attention. “It’s not your fault, okay? It sucks, but you did everything you could. He didn’t blame you, right?”

“Right,” Jemma says, sounding slightly mollified. (She hadn’t been expecting “honey,” not in that tone, not right now. It has a hell of an effect on her.) “He said he did it because, because the world needed me more than him, and he was happy to have done it if it meant saving me and saving everyone.”

“Well, there you go.” Daisy reaches over to squeeze her hand. “It’s no one’s fault, okay? Especially not yours. He knew what he was doing and he made that choice for himself.”

“But I still should have been able to fix it,” Jemma whispers. “That’s what we do. He does something stupid and brave to protect me and then I do something to protect him back.” She shakes her head. “Did. What we did. What he did. I can’t keep using the present tense.”

Daisy pauses for a minute to think about how to respond to that. Finally she says, “Jem, you did everything you could, and he wanted this. I get why you’re blaming yourself, but it’s not your fault at all.”

Jemma glances at her lap. “Then why do I feel so horrendous?”  
  
“Because you beat yourself up over every single thing you think you did wrong?” Daisy teases. 

“Damn, you know me too well,” Jemma says, sounding like she’s trying to make a joke.

“Sure do,” Daisy says cheerfully. “And I know all the mean shit your brain tells you, too. Which is why I’m telling you the truth.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says. A good thirty seconds pass before she speaks again, something altogether different in her voice. “Can I say the worst thing I’ve thought? Ma’am?” Like she expects she’ll need forgiveness.

Daisy squeezes her hand again. “Say whatever you need to, I’m listening.”

“I’m mad at him,” Jemma admits softly. “I’m mad at him for taking risks and I’m mad at him for insisting it be him instead of me to take the risks.” She winces. “I’m mad at him for getting me pregnant even though he knew he wouldn’t be there with us for very long. Is that too heinous of me? I don’t regret Alya, I don’t, but…”

Daisy nods. To be honest, in her darkest nights of the soul she’s had similar thoughts, but she hasn’t wanted to bring them up in front of Jemma. It’s reassuring to know she’s not alone in this. “It’s not horrible,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “I mean, I think it’s pretty normal, to be honest. It’s the whole ‘anger’ part of the stages of grief, y’know.” 

“Does it count if I was angry before he even died?” Jemma asks softly. “I was. Not always, but I was. He wanted to do something with the time he had left, alright, that’s reasonable, I’m glad I could be a part of him going out happy. But it was selfish, wasn’t it? Knowing I’d be the one left behind, knowing it would fall on me to take care of our daughter.” She gazes out the window, clearly furious. “It’s what he did time and again. He’d do something brave, something I couldn’t get angry about, and then it would fall on me to deal with the repercussions. He saved me in the ocean and then I saved him, but not well enough, and then he spent a year and a half tearing my heart out because I didn’t accept his _terms_. He got killed, then it fell on me, on us, to bend backwards going through space to save him. He subjected himself to things he knew could kill him, then I had to be the one to drag myself through time and forget our own damn _daughter_ while he fucked off to the bloody Quantum Realm.”

“It’s okay to be angry about that,” Daisy says. “Some of the stuff he did was pretty bullshit. Sorry, but it’s true.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Jemma exclaims. It’s her way of prompting Daisy to elaborate, because just now she needs to vent.

“Yeah.” Daisy takes a deep breath. “I think it kind of tied into his weird thing about always needing to be the hero, to be honest. Like he had to be the one who made the cool entrance from the Quantum Realm, and when you had your memory wiped he was helping you figure out what the hell was going on.”

“Yes!” Jemma yelps. “Yes, exactly. It’s the same way he tried to make a cool entrance when we were all stuck in that future space hell. And -- I think I remember, I’m not sure, when he came back and I was like that, was he especially concerned? I remember him trying to help, but it’s still a bit fuzzy, admittedly. Was he upset?” She shakes her head. “He was having some memory issues at the end, not surprising, and my dealing with it made me wonder, but I couldn’t very well ask him.”

Daisy thinks for a minute. “I’m not sure he was as concerned as he should have been,” she says slowly. “He was kind of weirdly cavalier about whether or not it would be permanent.”

Jemma winces. “Optimistically, I’d say that was because he couldn’t imagine that we, he and I, wouldn’t get past it,” she says, “but I’m… do you think he liked me needing to be taken care of? He as much as accused me of the same a couple times - not recently, back when we were still in the field - but I don’t know why he’d think that. I liked taking care of him, but I didn’t… I didn’t see him as a _project_.”

That makes Daisy make a face. She’s wondered as much, occasionally, but it didn’t seem like a great idea to bring up. But since Jemma’s the one who did… “I wondered about that,” she confesses. “If maybe he, I dunno, liked the idea of having you dependent on him.”

“I don’t think that’s how he always felt,” Jemma says, a little too quickly. “But I think that maybe it made him feel… I’m not sure. Strong. It was another way he could be the hero.” She shakes her head vigorously. “I don’t mean to speak ill. It wasn’t like he was _only_ like that, or like it’s been like that these last years hardly at all. He was kind and patient and thoughtful and he loved me, I know he did. I just keep recalling the darker things that nobody’s been saying and I’m not sure anymore if they were real or I’m just mad.”

“You’re allowed to be mad,” Daisy says. “Fitz was complicated and he loved you, but sometimes he did shitty things and treated you badly and it’s okay to talk about that. He had a weird hero complex that mostly manifested in trying to self-sacrifice all the time.” She smirks. “I can kinda relate, but whatever.”

“I think we all can, to an extent,” Jemma points out. “It’s just so much to process. Nobody else knows the details like you do, and I’m not sure I want them to. He really did seem to have mellowed out in retirement, maybe for Alya or maybe because he knew what was coming or maybe just because, and especially taking that into consideration, it didn’t feel like I needed to explain everything to people. I mean, hell, Bobbi and Hunter practically have a room in our house, and trying to lay this on them, or, well, on Bobbi? It’d be unthinkable. It’d just mess up the good thing we had going.”

Daisy nods. “It’s not the kind of thing you want to go around telling everybody, but I’m glad you’re talking to me about it, anyway.”

Jemma nods. “I’m afraid of what will happen when Alya gets older and starts asking more questions, too,” she admits. “There are so many things about him that she’s just never seen, or that she doesn’t remember. God, did I tell you I caught him about to spank her once?”

“Uh, no.” Daisy raises both eyebrows. “You did not. Yikes.”

“I know,” Jemma says, wincing. “It was when we were still in space, she wasn’t even three yet. I don’t even remember what he was upset about. I, ah. Let him have it.” She sounds a little proud of this despite herself.

“Yeah, of course you did,” Daisy nods. “He’s the last person I’d think would be okay with hitting a kid. Did he tell you _why_ he did it?”

“Not in so many words,” Jemma sighs. “I think it was just a terrible instinct. Like he wasn’t sure how else to respond because that’s how he’d been treated. When I calmed down enough to point that out to him, he was at least able to recognize it and vow to be better.” She smiles fondly. “Enoch took it upon himself to hold Fitz to that, he’d recite statistics about disciplining children every time Fitz got even a bit upset.”

That makes Daisy snort. “That’s something, I guess. And it was just the one time?”

“It was,” Jemma agrees. “Between Enoch and my going off and her being so upset that she’d upset him, because she really is my daughter, I think he actually learned from it. And Alya was so little that she doesn’t remember any of this, thankfully.”

“Well, that’s good. She really is a great kid.”

Of course, this makes Jemma grin. “I like to think so,” she says. “I’ve tried, inasmuch as I can be responsible for that. And she’s obviously had plenty of other excellent formative influences. I just want to continue to do the best I can with her. I don’t want to give her any reasons to carry around more rubbish in her brain than she has to, you know?”

“I think you’re doing fine.” Daisy puts her hand on Jemma’s shoulder. “I mean, you’re already thinking about this shit, and that puts you way ahead of the curve as far as parents go.”

“It’s the anxiety,” Jemma quips.

“What, you? Nah,” teases Daisy. “But seriously, I think you’re doing a great job with her.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says softly. “She’s one of the most important people in the universe to me.”

“Aww.” Daisy grins at her. “Am I on that list?”

“Right at the top,” Jemma promises. “Always.”

“Same to you,” Daisy says with a wink.

* * *

Daisy has to stifle a fit of giggles the second they land the plane. “I can’t believe you agreed to come to the _Mamma Mia_ island,” she says cheerfully to Jemma.

“Well, I haven’t spent much time in Greece,” Jemma rations. “It’s by the sea, which is obviously important. It’s beautiful. And, well, it’s making you this happy.”

“I honestly just didn’t expect you to be okay with basically living a meme.”

“As they go, it’s a harmless one,” Jemma says. “And it’s with you.”

Daisy leans over to give her a kiss. “That’s gay.”

“Well, yes,” Jemma giggles, nuzzling against Daisy’s shoulder.

“Shall we get settled in? I booked us a fancy suite and shit.”

“Ooh,” Jemma says. “I’m intrigued.”

“I think you’ll like it,” Daisy says. “It has a view of the ocean and stuff. I made sure to ask for that.”

“You’re so wonderful to me,” Jemma murmurs, reaching for Daisy’s hand.

“Of course.” Daisy leans over to kiss her again. “C’mon, let’s go!”

* * *

After they check in and have a late dinner, Jemma goes to take a long bath (candles lit, cheap novel in hand). She hasn’t had a chance to just _relax_ in weeks, and what’s more, she needs to get herself ready for whatever Daisy has planned. She wants to make herself as beautiful for it as she can: it seems only right, after so long.

When she finally emerges, she’s in a pale pink, lace-trimmed camisole with her hair down and dry around her shoulders and a shy smile on her face like this is the first time they’ve ever been intimate.

Daisy’s sitting on the bed, wearing a black balconette bra that’s mostly straps and grinning. “Hi, honey,” she says. “You look adorable.”

“Hi,” Jemma murmurs, ducking her head and clearly having to hold back from wrapping her arms around her body nervously. “Ma’am. I… I’m glad you think so. I like being adorable for you.”

“You always are. C’mere, yeah? You don’t have to be shy, it’s just me.”

Jemma nods and comes to join Daisy on the bed, but she’s still blushing and a little timid. “I’m out of practice,” she mumbles.

“Aw, don’t worry, we can go slow if you want,” Daisy reassures her. “D’you mean out of practice with me, or...in general?”

“Both, sort of,” Jemma admits, making a face. “I mean, you know how long it’s been since we… well. Bobbi and Hunter’s last visit was short and spent entirely doing PG-rated things because Fitz wasn’t feeling all that well. Illness in general meant his meagre sex drive was basically nonexistant.” She sighs. “Not to mention having a young child in the house.”

Daisy makes a sympathetic noise. “Poor thing. I mean, I get it if he wasn’t up to doing some stuff, but what about telling _you_ to do stuff to yourself? I know you like it when I do that, did he?”

“Sometimes,” Jemma says, fidgeting with her hair. “It’s really only been recently that I’ve been… well, dry. In general he did try to indulge me as best he could, though it didn’t always work. Once we were, you know, and Alya had been asleep for hours but I, ah, got loud and he was terrified I’d wake her. He panicked and put his hand over my mouth, hard, and I… I might have bit him, just a little.”

“Oh shit.” Daisy blinks at her. “Were you okay? Did he stop?”

“I was fine,” Jemma promises, laughing nervously. “He was off me immediately. I think I scared him worse than he did me, honestly. After he calmed down he explained that he reacted rashly, but he’d thought I liked a bit of rough handling. I was honestly embarrassed. I’d been fine being mostly vanilla with him! But after that we had a long talk about what I do and do not put up with or enjoy, sexually, and why even the strictest gag isn’t the same to me as a hand on my mouth.” She sighs, her expression sheepish. “We worked up to a few of those, sometimes while we were doing things and sometimes while he did things to me and sometimes while I did things to myself. Wrists sometimes, too. He was a ways off from feeling comfortable with any more than that, but we made do, before the… hiatus.”

Daisy nods. “Okay, that’s better than I thought. But you really need some attention now, huh?” She reaches over to gently run her hand down Jemma’s back. 

Jemma lets out a downright pitiful whimper as she reacts to Daisy’s touch. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she murmurs. “It’s not like I’ve had much time or inclination myself, lately. But, well…”

“You don’t have to explain it to me, honey,” Daisy says, petting Jemma’s hair. “You deserve to have someone take care of you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Jemma says, the very definition of demure.

Daisy kisses her, just gentle and affectionate at first. “I know we talked about doing a lot of things,” she says. “Do you want to pick first, or should I?”

“You?” Jemma asks, barely breaking away from Daisy to do so. “I… I’d like to take care of you, but I’ll do however you want.”

“Oh,” Daisy says with a little smile. “Okay, well, then we’ll wait on the ropes until after you’ve done that, hm?”

Jemma’s eyes go wide, but with delight, and she nods. “If you’d like, I’d like too,” she says. “I’ve missed being close to you.”

“I’ve missed it too,” Daisy murmurs, kissing her again. “Let me just get all ready for you…” She wriggles out of her panties and tosses them aside, then scoots back on the bed so that she’s stretched out on her back. “C’mere,” she says, beckoning to Jemma. “I wanna make out some more.”

“Yes, please,” Jemma says eagerly. It still feels strange to her to be literally on top of Daisy, but there’s not really a better way to make out and she _was_ asked, so she flashes another of those bashful smiles, straddles Daisy’s hips, and leans down to kiss her hungrily.

“Why are you acting all shy?” Daisy teases after a few more kisses. “I mean, it’s cute, but it’s not like I can’t tell how much you want this.”

“Maybe I, maybe I still can’t believe you want it too,” Jemma says. “That after all this time and all the nonsense we’ve been through, I’m still your girl. Maybe I’m never quite going to believe how lucky I am.”

“Aw,” coos Daisy. “You’re so cute, honey.” She wraps one of her legs around Jemma’s and kisses her again. “You’ll always be my girl, alright?”

Jemma sighs happily into the kiss, bringing one hand up to trace the line of Daisy’s jaw. “Alright,” she says. “I just want to be the best I can for you. I’m worried, I think, that I won’t be.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Lots of reasons,” Jemma says. “I’m rusty. I’m an emotional wreck.” She shrugs, voice going softer as she adds, “I’m soft and domesticated, not interesting enough for a badass galaxy-traversing hero.”

“Hey,” Daisy says, tone going a bit stern. “You’re also a badass galaxy-traversing hero, remember? And I haven’t exactly been running around having sex with a bunch of people either lately, just Danny. Who is great, don’t get me wrong, but our sex life is totally different than mine and his. And this is cheesy, but I like you just the way you are and all that.”

“Not anymore,” Jemma mumbles, “but if you still think it counts, I guess that’s something.” She squirms a little and tries very hard not to tug at her camisole. “I’m not too much of a boring mum now?”

“What? No. If anything, you’re a total MILF.” Daisy’s sort of kidding, but she punctuates her words with an especially hard kiss. “I didn’t stop being into you just because you had a kid, that would be stupid.”

“Well, yes,” Jemma says with a nervous laugh. “Technically. But considering I’ve felt you’re too cool for me since the day we met, it hasn’t stopped me from wondering.”

Daisy grins. “Well, I always thought you’re too smart for _me,_ so let’s call it even, yeah?”

“I’ll try,” Jemma says. She kisses Daisy’s throat tenderly, then says against her skin, “Is that alright?”

“Mm, yeah,” hums Daisy, tilting her head to give Jemma better access. “You can keep doing that.”

“Okay.” Jemma does, making sure to cover every last bit of skin she can. “God, I love the way you taste.”

Daisy whimpers happily. “Thanks, honey, you’re sweet.”

“That’s very important to me,” Jemma murmurs.

After a few more neck kisses, Daisy gently tilts Jemma’s head over to kiss her lips again, then says playfully, “There’s more to me than my neck, y’know.”

Jemma pouts, albeit playfully. “I was just trying to be thorough!”

“I know, and it’s cute. But the rest of me needs attention too.” Daisy arches her back pointedly.

“Oh, of _course_ ,” Jemma says, moving down and beginning to kiss Daisy’s breasts. She leaves her bra in place for now, because it’s beautiful, but she makes sure to kiss wherever she can. She even starts to use her teeth, glancing up at Daisy to make sure it’s okay.

Daisy nods eagerly. “That feels good, honey.”

“Good,” Jemma mumbles, mouth still pressed against Daisy’s breast. “Can I leave a mark?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Daisy strokes Jemma’s hair. “I’ll do the same to you later, if you want.”

Jemma nods. “Nowhere too obvious,” she says, “but I’d like, too.” She kisses the spot she’s got in mind, then starts to worry the skin between her teeth, gentle as she can.

Whimpering again, Daisy murmurs, “Yeah, that’s nice, that’s good. You’re doing great.”

This earns a satisfied hum from Jemma, and after another few moments she pulls back enough to admire her handiwork. There’s a small but unmistakable purplish mark on Daisy’s breast, just above the line of her bra, and Jemma grins proudly.

Daisy’s grinning too. “Nice to see you on me,” she says.

“I think so too,” Jemma says. That shy smile is back, but this time it’s more because, well, she’s not usually the one leaving marks and it’s delightful.

After another long kiss, Daisy coaxes, “C’mon, back to it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jemma chirps, gently pushing the cups of Daisy’s bra down so she can focus on Daisy’s nipples awhile. 

Daisy sighs and arches against Jemma’s mouth, squirming a little as Jemma continues to kiss and suck at her breasts. “Good girl,” she gasps. 

Jemma takes a deep breath, wanting to savor that moment. “Could I go lower?” she asks softly.

“Yeah, please.” Daisy rocks her hips against Jemma’s.

“Thank you,” Jemma whispers, moving down Daisy’s body. It’s not like she never gets to touch Daisy with her hands while going down on her, but it is rare enough that she feels especially fortunate. She pushes Daisy’s legs apart reverently and massages the inside of her thighs as she gets herself in place.

Daisy notices the care she’s taking, of course. “You’re so cute,” she says, “touching me all reverent like that.”

“You deserve it,” Jemma says, pressing a long kiss to Daisy’s clit. “Always.”

“Mm, thank you.” Daisy reaches down to tangle her fingers in Jemma’s hair, not tightly, just as an anchor. “Keep going.”

Jemma sighs happily, moving her head just to feel Daisy’s grip. “Yes, ma’am,” she says again, voice soft. With that, she starts in relearning the territory of Daisy’s body, kissing and licking and sucking wherever she can with gentle, methodical attention.

And Daisy lets Jemma know exactly how much she likes that, moaning loudly and bucking her hips into Jemma’s mouth. “Yeah, yeah, just like that,” she sighs. 

Jemma nods in understanding, doing her best to keep it up. Her hands stay on Daisy’s thighs, stroking and petting like she’s making up for lost time.

And that’s such a Jemma thing to do that it makes Daisy melt a little. “Thanks, honey,” she gasps. “Taking such good care of me, that’s my good girl.”

Jemma whimpers. “Wanna,” she says against Daisy’s center. 

Daisy lets Jemma’s tongue work her up for awhile, closing her eyes and tugging on Jemma’s hair every so often to redirect her, letting out moans and gasps to encourage her. She’s enjoying herself so much that her orgasm kind of sneaks up on her, and she manages to yelp, “Good girl, I’m-” before cutting herself off with a long moan and coming.

“Oh!” Jemma exclaims, immediately drawing back and pressing a careful kiss to Daisy’s thigh. She doesn’t want to presume and push it, but she’s clearly pleased that she’s managed to make Daisy so happy.

“See,” Daisy pants after taking a second to compose herself, “you’ve totally still got it.”

Jemma giggles. “I’m glad,” she says. “I’ve missed how prettily you orgasm. Is that odd?”

“I don’t think so,” Daisy says with a little shrug. “I’m taking it as a compliment, anyway.”

“Good,” Jemma says. “That’s how it was intended. It’s an honor to know that it happened because of me, ma’am.” It’s a little formal, but she means it.

“God, you’re cute,” Daisy says fondly, petting Jemma’s hair. “All proper and shit even with me smeared all over your face.”

Jemma blushes. “I just want you to know how much I care for you,” she says, resting her head on Daisy’s leg and gazing up at her.

“I know, honey. You do such a good job of showing me. You want a kiss?”

“Please, ma’am?” Jemma asks softly. 

“Come here.” Daisy tugs Jemma up to give her a nice long kiss. “Mm, I love it when you taste like me.”

“I love it too,” Jemma murmurs. “You’re so sweet. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get enough.”

Daisy sighs. “God, it’s cheesy but I feel the same way. You’re just...special.”

“I think we’re due some cheesy,” Jemma says, shutting her eyes and basking in the praise for a moment. “All considered.”

“Good point.” Daisy starts petting her hair again. “You want some attention now, honey?”

Jemma lets out a soft, blissful sigh. “I’d like that,” she agrees.

“Okay, let me sit up?” Daisy waits for Jemma to move, then kisses her one more time before reaching for the coils of rope on the bedside table. “And you sit up too. Legs spread and tucked under you, please.”

“Okay,” Jemma echoes, arranging herself. She has a fairly good idea what will happen if she’s kneeling with her legs spread, and she’s clearly excited about it.

Daisy smiles. “Good.” She runs a hand down Jemma’s side affectionately before starting to tie first one leg and then the other. “How’s that, can you handle that?”

“It feels nice,” Jemma says. “Snug, but not too.”

“Good. Okay, now put your hands behind your back and grab your elbows.”

Jemma does, arching her back a little so her breasts get shown off a bit. “Like this?”

“Uh huh.” Daisy leans in to press a quick kiss to one and then the other. “Lemma get behind you so I can tie them in place.” They’re leaving the camisole in place for now, though it might come off later. She starts by framing the top and bottom of Jemma’s breasts with ropes, then loops them around both upper arms. After securing Jemma’s upper arms in a couple different places, she brings the ropes to the middle of Jemma’s back and ties her forearms together. This means Jemma can keep holding onto her elbows if she wants, or give her hands a bit of rest. “There,” she says finally, coming back around to look at her handiwork. “You look so pretty like this, honey.”

Jemma intends to sound playful, like she’s just encouraging further compliments, when she asks, “I do, hm?” Instead she sounds plain needy, which means she’s back to blushing.

“Yeah, you really do.” Daisy just lets herself drink in the sight of Jemma kneeling in front of her, so eager for whatever Daisy’s going to do next. It’s unbelievably hot. “You look so hot all tied up and posed like this for me, and I love that you trust me enough to let me do that. You’re the furthest thing from boring.” She reaches to run her hand over Jemma’s center. “And I love that you’re just as into this as I am.”

“I do,” Jemma says. “I am. I love letting you take care of me, and being nice for you, and just… all of it. I love all of it. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Daisy murmurs, kissing her. “And I’m gonna take care of you right now, okay?”

“Okay,” Jemma squeaks. “Thank you, ma’am, Daisy, thank you.”

Daisy arranges herself so she’s lying on her stomach and then scoots back to Jemma. “I’ve missed this,” she says before starting to kiss and nip at Jemma’s thighs.

“I have too,” Jemma says, shivering altogether too dramatically given how gentle Daisy is being.

Daisy’s careful not to try for too many marks, since they’re planning on going scuba diving tomorrow, but she does leave a couple of bruises on Jemma’s thighs. “More of those later, if you want,” she says, soothing them with more kisses.

“Yes,” Jemma says quickly. “Yes, please. I like knowing you’ve got me.”

“‘Course I do,” Daisy says, and then licks up Jemma’s center before starting to trace her folds with her tongue. 

Jemma gasps, because even though she knew to expect that, it’s _so much_. “Sorry,” she murmurs. “I don’t mean to…”

Daisy pauses to say, “You can be as loud as you want, honey. I want to know I’m making you feel good,” before diving back in.

“Oh, oh, okay,” Jemma stammers, nodding too quickly. “You are, ma’am. So good.”

Daisy hums acknowledgement and continues to lick at Jemma, not paying attention to her clit just yet. She doesn’t want this to be over too fast.

“You’re so… nobody can make me feel like you do,” Jemma whispers.

Daisy makes a pleased noise and rubs her thumbs down Jemma’s thighs, letting her fingernails dig in just a little bit.

“Oh, fuck,” Jemma breathes out, arching her back and spreading her legs even farther.

That’s Daisy’s favorite, when Jemma’s far gone enough to swear. She doubles her efforts, finally starting to circle around Jemma’s clit with her tongue.

Jemma rewards her with her loudest wail yet. Her attention is officially devoted only to this moment: the way she can feel her whole body trembling but in the nicest way, the sensation building low in her belly, the way the ropes press into her like a hug.

Daisy can feel how much Jemma loves this, even without the noise, and she keeps going. She really has missed this - she loves Danny too, but Jemma giving herself over to her like this means so much, and Jemma tastes and feels so good. She sucks at her clit, gently at first and then less gently. 

“God,” Jemma cries. “God, please, ma’am.”

Humming happily, Daisy traces a pattern on Jemma’s thighs with her nails while she continues to eat her out. She can tell Jemma’s close and she wants to make sure her orgasm is amazing.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Jemma coaxes, her hips twitching. “Please, I just - I’m -”

Daisy’s shut her eyes, but she opens them now, to watch Jemma. She’s absurdly hot.

“ _Daisy I love you_ ,” Jemma screams as she comes. Her entire body tenses and then relaxes as much as it can; her eyes squeeze shut to narrow her focus. 

Daisy smiles and helps her through it, then, once she’s calmed, she gently licks her clean and then looks up at her. “How was that?” she asks with a smug smile. “Was that good?”

“That was incredible,” Jemma pants. “You’re incredible.”

Daisy plants one last kiss to her clit and then says “I love you too” before sitting up and kissing her on the lips.

Jemma leans forward, clearly hoping that Daisy will hold her. “I’ve always thought absence making the heart grow fonder was a strange phrase,” she says, smiling mischievously, “but I know what it _does_ do.”

Daisy snorts, putting her arms around Jemma. “What?” 

“Makes the orgasm stronger,” Jemma says. She’s clearly very pleased with her terrible joke.

“Jesus Christ.” Daisy laughs and kisses her cheek. “You’re adorable and that’s a bad joke.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says proudly. “I know, I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Daisy lets her hands wander slowly, stroking all the parts of Jemma not covered by ropes. “Dork.”

“I learned it from watching you,” Jemma replies airily.

Snickering, Daisy says, “Weird reference after I literally just ate you out.”

“Brains are weird, generally,” Jemma points out.

“True.” Daisy reaches to pet her hair. “How are you feeling, you want me to undo these ropes?”

“Whatever you want,” Jemma says. “I’m comfortable no matter what if I’m with you.”

“Aww.” After another long kiss, Daisy starts to carefully undo the knots. “Well, I can give you a massage after we get you undone, okay?”

“I’d like that,” Jemma says. “I’m probably nothing but tense muscles.”

“I can definitely help with that.”

* * *

“That was certainly the best octopus we’ve ever encountered,” Jemma says. It’s meant to be a joke, but her eyes are still sparkling from the excitement of their scuba diving excursion. They’re sharing a bottle of wine after an excellent dinner at the fanciest restaurant Daisy could find (that didn’t make her skin crawl).

Daisy snorts. “I mean, I’d definitely rather see one of those guys than the other kind. I liked that stingray that came over to say hi, that was pretty damn cool.”

“Yes!” Jemma exclaims, beaming. “I’m glad it was patient enough to let me get a few pictures. Alya’s going to absolutely lose her mind.”

“You’re adorable,” Daisy says, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

Jemma practically purrs. “Thank you,” she says. “And thank you for indulging me.”

“Of course.” Daisy takes a sip of her wine. “I like seeing you so happy.”

“That means a lot to me,” Jemma murmurs, and she raises her glass. “To being happy.”

“To being happy,” Daisy echoes, and clinks her glass against Jemma’s. “Hey, speaking of Alya...how much does she know about us, anyway?”

“Ah.” The conversation Jemma has been expecting since Daisy arrived for the funeral, honestly. “Well, Fitz and I explained to her pretty early on that it’s possible to love more than one person in the way we loved each other. We sort of had to after she asked us why we stared at Bobbi and Hunter all funny when they visited.” 

That makes Daisy giggle. “Yeah, you’re not exactly subtle around Bobbi. Which, y’know, understandable.”

“Hey, you’re not much better,” Jemma laughs. “But I think once we explained that she started wondering if we were _that_ fond of all of our friends, for a while. She obviously knows how much you mean to me. She’s seen us together before, too, at least a little, and she’s heard stories about you practically from the time she was born. I think she knows you’re one of my people.”

“That’s pretty gay,” Daisy says with a mischievous grin. 

“Well, you’re in all of my best adventures,” Jemma says, accurately guessing which part Daisy is referring to. “She got the severely edited versions, of course, but she was curious about our lives. That meant she heard a lot about you and the rest of our family.”

“Aw, that’s so cute. I’m sorry I couldn’t come by much. Space, y’know.” Daisy waves her hand in the air, trying to downplay the “space” part. 

“She obviously knows you, though,” Jemma points out. “From video calls and all. She’s certainly not shy with you the way she is with some people.”

“Oh, you mean her little baby crush on Flint?” Daisy asks playfully. “I don’t think she said five words to him the whole time they were here, but she sure smiled at him a bunch.”

“She took note of his comment that he didn’t know much about fish,” Jemma chuckles. “She was writing a lesson plan for him before she went to bed. There’s really no doubt she’s my daughter, when _that’s_ her idea of an affectionate gesture.”

Daisy nods. “You guys are both adorable nerds,” she says fondly. “But yeah, I don’t mean to like, muscle my way in. I was just curious, mostly.”

“You’re not!” Jemma exclaims. “I really do think she knows we’re something, although she might not realize how much. But she trusts you to take me on trips. She’ll eat food you make her. She clearly likes you.” She shrugs, a little too casual. “Besides, your boyfriend is babysitting her while we’re away. I’m sure she can figure out that means you’re important. You, I mean. And him, I guess. Both of you. I didn’t need to clarify, did I?”

Snickering, Daisy says, “No, I got it. Although, on that topic, how d’you feel about that? Y’know...the three of us, at some point?”

Jemma goes (predictably) bright red. “I, ah,” she stammers. “I wouldn’t be opposed. At some point.”

“No pressure, I was just wondering. He’s good either way, he doesn’t mind just sharing.”

“I think you might have misinterpreted my reaction,” Jemma rushes to say. “I’d like to. Is it weird of me to say that seeing the way he cares about you is sort of a turn-on?”

Daisy gets what she’s not saying with that, and smirks. “Not weird at all. He cares about you too, just, y’know, differently.”

“I mean, he _is_ babysitting my daughter, I sort of figured,” Jemma teases. “I just… he’s a good man, and he’s terribly handsome.”

“He’s alright,” Daisy says cheerfully. “And coming from you, I know ‘terribly handsome’ is high praise.”

“I’m picky about men,” Jemma chirps, hoping Daisy won’t choose now to acknowledge that the man she married was so clearly the outlier in her series of infatuations.

Daisy shrugs. “I should’ve been pickier, but it worked out okay. Anyway. We can definitely figure something out, the three of us. He’s a little more...vanilla than you and me, but we’ll work it out.”

Jemma gets a mischievous look on her face. “I would never pressure anyone into anything, but I have to ask: is he more vanilla because he likes it that way or because he doesn’t know any better?”

Giving her a mock-offended look, Daisy asks, “You think I’d leave him in the dark on purpose? No, he knows about, y’know, stuff, he’s just not as into it as we are. He doesn’t mind when I boss him around a little sometimes, but he’s not so much into the ropes and toys and stuff. He _does_ have a hell of a mouth, though,” she adds, grinning. “And he knows how to use it.”

“I just wasn’t sure if you were still easing him into things,” Jemma says. “But that’s alright. I _am_ capable of sex without the props.” She rolls her eyes playfully - Daisy knows this, because of course for every time they’ve played out a scene there’s three times they’ve just made love the “normal” way. “That, however, is _very_ promising. It’ll be nice having a man down there who doesn’t just seem confused.”

Daisy winces. “Did he _never_ figure that out?”

“He tried his best,” Jemma says judiciously. “He understood the mechanics, and I think he liked it more than he liked actually fucking me because it didn’t involve his own genitals. But he always looked a little lost, like he was afraid he was doing it wrong, which ironically made him tilt closer to doing anything wrong than he would have otherwise.”

“Oof. Poor guy. And I’m sorry you had to put up with it.”

“Sex was never a key factor in our relationship,” Jemma says, although that’s not new information by any means. “He mostly just did it because he knew I enjoyed it, and I tried to make it as nice for him as I could while not insisting we go at it constantly. He made me a couple of very nice vibrators, at any rate.”

Shrugging, Daisy says, “That works, I guess. Anyway, Danny will be more than happy to make up for it.”

“I’m excited, though not impatient,” Jemma says. 

Daisy reaches out and squeezes her hand. “Me too. On a totally different topic, what about Muireall? What does she know?”

“Oh, gracious.” Jemma blushes again, for entirely different reasons than before. “More than I was going to tell her, to be certain. But Fitz wanted to be open with her, I guess because he wanted her to know that he was happy and, I don’t know, finally comfortable in himself.”

“Gonna need some more specifics there,” Daisy teases. “If that’s okay.”

“Well, she was already staying with us by the time Bobbi and Hunter visited us last,” Jemma says. “So he started by sharing that we… well, swung with them, essentially.” She smirks. “I could practically hear her say ‘oh, that makes more sense!’ I don’t know how long she’s known Fitz’s sexuality, since he’s had such a shite time being open about it, but I have my suspicions that she had her suspicions, if that makes sense.”

Daisy snickers. “Yeah, it really does. Well, good for him, and her. And she’s, y’know, cool with us?”

Jemma nods. “That was, ah, a slightly more solemn conversation,” she admits. “She’d figured out you and I were an item a while back, but we sort of assumed she thought it was the same sort of thing we had going with the others. I decided I wanted to clarify things before, well.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. Suddenly it’s getting to the parts that are harder to discuss. “Toward the end, we sat her down and I told her the truth. That you and I have been romantic even longer than he and I had, and that you’re just as important to me. Before she could say anything, he jumped in to say that he’d always known and accepted that, that you were a dear friend and, well. I don’t think he meant it in a proprietary way, he was actually being quite sweet about it. He told her that he was glad it would be you there to take care of me when he couldn’t.”

“Oh. Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad, yeah.”

“I think I need clarification,” Jemma whispers. “What isn’t too bad?”

“Oh, I just meant, it sounds like you guys were pretty transparent with her.” Daisy frowns. “But I’m guessing all of that is leading up to a less-good part of it?”

“Not really,” Jemma says. “Not with Muireall. She’s fine with you and I being you and I, she obviously likes you as a person, she trusts you with Alya. She doesn’t totally understand it, how we all managed to juggle, but I think she had almost as many suspicions about my being queer as she did about Fitz.”

Daisy relaxes a little. “Well, like I said, you’re not subtle,” she says with a wink.

“I don’t know why I’d need to be,” Jemma says. “It’s just who I am and how I feel. So what if it means things are nontraditional? I like that. I wouldn’t have it another way.”

“I wouldn’t either.” Daisy picks up her hand to kiss it. “What about your parents?” She’s never met them, just heard stories, and they sound like the kind of people who wouldn’t much like Daisy even without the specific circumstances. 

Jemma lets out a nervous laugh. “They know considerably less,” she admits. “As in, nothing about our being poly. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay, I kind of figured. Just curious, mostly. At least we’ve got AC and May, hm?”

“We do,” Jemma says. “And I did tell Claire and Gil about you. They weren’t scandalized.”

“Aw, glad I pass the sibling test. How are they doing anyway?”

“They’re alright. Gil’s coming up on his fiftieth birthday and having a bit of an existential crisis about it.” Jemma laughs a little. “I never used to understand why getting older was so horrifying, but it’s starting to make sense.”

“Yeah, fair enough. Also, I hadn’t thought of it until literally just now, but is there a non-shitty reason why they both opted out of the funeral, or…?”

“Close enough to one,” Jemma says. “Unavoidable work-related conflicts. Gil’s at a conference in America, Claire had to perform a surgery she couldn’t reschedule. They both called and sent cards. Claire even had a proper grief counseling video call just with Alya, a couple days before you and Danny got in.”

Daisy nods. “Okay, okay, that’s fair. Sorry. I’m just, y’know, protective.”

“I know,” Jemma says, smiling shyly. “I like it. I’d be something of a hypocrite if I didn’t let Claire go do what she could to prevent someone else from succumbing to a neurological condition, though. And at least they were both off doing work things. Mum and Dad are just on some vaguely masturbatory Roxxon retirees cruise.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s just as well, though. Dad would have been too cynical about the religiousness of the service, and this way I didn’t have to explain anything to them amidst everything else.”

“Oh, yeah, makes sense. And hey, at least you got most of your family here,” Daisy says, smiling.

Jemma nods. “It was the service he wanted, I think,” she says. Then she clears her throat and forces a smile. “Enough of that, though. How is Kora doing?”

“She’s great, actually. She’s in charge of the team while Danny and I are gone, but I’m kind of afraid it’s gonna go to her head.” Daisy’s grinning, clearly teasing. “And she’s really got a handle on her powers too. She’s taken up glassblowing lately, and oil painting.”

“Glassblowing, _really_ ,” Jemma says. If it was coming from anyone else, it might sound insincere, but she doesn’t mean it that way at all. “How do you casually pick up glassblowing?”

“Well, she asked if there were any art forms that used fire, and I suggested it. Obviously she can’t do it while we’re traveling and stuff, hence the painting, but she’s made a couple vases and stuff with her downtime. They’re kind of cool.”

“Huh,” Jemma says. “I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it makes sense. How is she, interpersonally? Doing better?”

Shrugging, Daisy says, “She’s got a couple friends she texts with that she met at one of the glassblowing classes. And I think the rest of the team likes her okay. I keep telling her to try making friends online but that hasn’t gone anywhere yet.”

“Has she said anything to confirm your, ah, theory yet?” Jemma asks.

“Not too much? Though I showed her _Mad Max: Fury Road_ and she said Furiosa was hot. But I couldn’t tell if that was her being serious or not.”

“Even if she was, that doesn’t mean much,” Jemma snorts. “Even straight women always aren’t immune to her.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. Plus I don’t know how many relationships she’s actually had, she gets weird and shifty when I ask about that. Just have to wait and see, I guess.”

Jemma nods. “Well, good luck to her,” she says. “Coming out is never easy.”

“Yep. I’m chill with wherever she ends up. It would be kind of fun to take her to Pride though.” Daisy smirks and adds, “I mean, if we’re ever not in space during it.”

“Well, you’re not going to be in space forever,” Jemma says. “Are you?” There’s a note of hesitation in her voice, one that makes her sound more insecure than she’s comfortable admitting to actually being.

Daisy rests her hand on Jemma’s. “No, of course not, Jem. I want to try and finish out the year before I ask SWORD to transfer me to something with less traveling. I think I’ll be ready to come home for good by then.”

Jemma swallows heavily, feeling very timid all of a sudden. “I wouldn’t ask you to give anything up,” she says. “That’s not - that wouldn’t be fair of me.”

“It’s not _just_ you,” Daisy insists. “I honestly think Kora’s gonna do a great job leading her own team. And also, constant space travel? Starting to get kind of tedious. I’d like a break. I miss like, seasons and shitty fast food and going to the beach and not having to occasionally outrun vengeful space pirates.”

“Okay,” Jemma says. “I just, I couldn’t… well. You know. I do understand, though. I miss the adventures, sometimes, but I don’t miss the space pirates or their ilk. And I, I’d like you around more. Obviously. I miss seeing your face every day and watching garbage movies with you at odd hours and talking through ideas with you and and, well, intimacy. That’s been the hardest part.” She shrugs, hoping to diffuse some of the sudden emotion.

“Yeah.” Daisy strokes the back of Jemma’s hand with her thumb. “I miss all that too. Uh, should Danny and I plan to move to Scotland, or…?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Jemma says. “I don’t think you’d like it there much, long-term. If it rains too much, it mucks up the wifi. And I’m not sure what I’m doing next. Obviously whatever it is, it’ll be second to Alya, but…” She makes a face. “I think I need to be _doing_ more than I have these last few years.”

Daisy laughs at that. “Yeah, I can’t believe you’ve lasted this long just freelancing.”

“Freelancing and trying to homeschool a child genius,” Jemma corrects (the pride she has for Alya clearly outweighs the attempt to be arch and smirky). She also doesn’t bother to mention taking care of Fitz, because that’s only really ramped up in the last year. “But she’s getting to the age where she needs to be in classes with other kids, at least sometimes, which means I’ll have more free time to fill.”

Nodding, Daisy says, “True. And we really could use you back, in the research division if nothing else. Nobody I’ve worked with is as good as you are at tracking down the really obscure stuff.”

Jemma beams at the praise, she can’t help it. “I miss doing that,” she admits. “And coming up with solutions to unimaginable problems, too. It feels like doing something that matters. Not that Fitz and Alya don’t, of course, but it’s a different kind of thing.”

“Don’t worry, I get it. We’ve got plenty for you to work on when you’re ready.”

“That’s the nice thing about the universe, I guess,” Jemma says. “It never stops having situations that need to be studied and helped.”

“You’re so cute,” Daisy says. “You about done here? I have some ideas for the rest of the evening, if you’re game.”

“Yes,” Jemma says, almost before Daisy has finished. “I’m very game. Always.”

* * *

They make their way back to the hotel quickly, and Daisy wastes no time in kissing Jemma deeply the second they’re in their hotel suite. “How would you feel about playing with the spreader bar?” she asks.

Jemma’s eyes go wide, but that would happen no matter what Daisy suggested. She’s easily excited. “I’d like,” she says. “Ma’am. What do you want to do?”

“Hm.” Daisy pauses like she’s thinking, even though she already has an idea of what she wants. “We haven’t really fucked while you’re standing up before. And I brought you that new posture collar too.”

“Oh!” Jemma exclaims. “That’s… that might be interesting, yes.” She clearly means that it _will_ be, but she’s trying (at least a little) to be coy. “I’d be on display for you.”

“Good.” Daisy kisses her again and then grabs her hand and leads her over toward the bed. “Gotta get you ready first,” she says, unbuttoning Jemma’s jeans and then reaching to pull her shirt off. 

“Mm,” Jemma says, pushing her jeans down over her hips. “You can take your time at this. I’ve missed feeling your hands all over me.”

“Oh.” Daisy smirks. “Yeah, I can do that, honey.” She tugs Jemma’s shirt off and reaches around to unhook her bra, but first she rubs her hands everywhere she can reach. 

“Thank you,” Jemma sighs happily. “That’s so nice.”

Daisy nuzzles her neck and presses a few kisses to it before pulling off her bra and tossing it aside. “I’ve missed these,” she says, cupping Jemma’s breasts in her hands and squeezing them playfully.

“They’ve missed you too,” Jemma giggles. “The way you touch me feels so special.”

“Good,” says Daisy, “I want you to feel special.” She kisses first one and then the other and then reaches down to pull off Jemma’s panties. “You’re beautiful, by the way.”

“I do with you,” Jemma says, tilting her head like she’s hoping for another kiss. “You make me feel special, and beautiful too. Incredibly so.”

Daisy kisses her a few more times, gentle at first and then harder, and pulls back once Jemma is panting. “Okay, let me grab the toys, honey,” she says with a grin. “You wait here.”

Jemma pouts a little, but sort of because she can tell that’s the reaction Daisy wants. “Don’t be long,” she says, stretching her neck and arms because she doesn’t know quite what’s in store and it’s better to be comfortable.

“I mean, I also just wanna look at you for a bit,” Daisy teases, deliberately looking up and down Jemma’s body slowly before going to retrieve the toys.

“Well, I guess that’s alright,” Jemma says with a little chuckle. After last night, she feels pretty comfortable being sexually intimate with Daisy again, but she’s never been good at flirting and she doubts that her lack of practice with it has done her any favors.

“You’re cute,” Daisy says, returning with the spreader bar, a ball gag, and the posture collar. 

“Thank you,” Jemma hums, vibrating a little with excitement. “I like being that for you.”

Daisy runs a hand through Jemma’s hair before holding up the collar. “Let’s start with this, alright?” It’ll cover Jemma’s entire neck, with handcuffs hanging off the front to keep her arms up and bent.

“Alright,” Jemma says, lifting her chin and getting in just the right position. “I… I wouldn’t like wearing one of these always, I don’t think, but sometimes it does feel just right to wear your collar, ma’am.”

“Aw.” Daisy kisses her cheek. “Yeah, I like being able to kiss your neck, but this should be fun for a little while. I like seeing that you’re mine.”

Jemma lets out a little moan. “I like that too,” she says. “I like feeling like yours. Like you’re proud to have me.”

“I am,” Daisy assures her. She fastens the collar around her neck and then cuffs Jemma’s wrists. “How’s that, does that feel okay?”

“Yeah,” Jemma says. She can feel the weight of her arms, but not in a painful way, just a way meaning she might need more shoulder rubs afterward. 

“Okay. Do you want the bar or the gag next?”

“Bar?” 

“Okay.” Daisy crouches down and fastens the bar around first one ankle, then the other, moving Jemma’s legs apart as needed. “Good?”

“Yeah,” Jemma repeats, letting out a long breath. “Good for you?”

Nodding, Daisy murmurs, “You are” before kissing Jemma’s mouth one last time. Then she slips the gag in and fastens it. 

Jemma moans, testing the gag’s limits. It’s not a huge one, and there are three little holes in the ball for her to breathe through, but it reminds her that her mouth, that her lips and tongue and jaw and words, are Daisy’s, and that’s intoxicating. She manages to mumble out an attempt at “love you” as she watches Daisy watch her.

Daisy grins and traces the gag straps with her fingers. “Love you too. Your gag talk is so cute.”

Jemma shuts her eyes for a moment, obviously delighted, and butts her head into Daisy’s hand. It’s a little bit of a thank you, a little bit of an agreement, and a little bit of a demand for more attention.

“Aw. You’re feeling needy, huh? Let me help you with that.” Daisy leans down to take one of Jemma’s breasts in her mouth.

Jemma can’t really nod very well with the posture collar, but she tries, whining her assent as well. It doesn’t matter that Daisy was just playing with her breasts a minute ago, she’ll never tire of that. No need to pretend to be coy about it.

Daisy notices, of course, and hums in satisfaction, rolling her tongue around Jemma’s nipple and then letting it go so she can kiss and nip at the rest of Jemma’s breast. “You taste nice, honey,” she murmurs.

This earns the kind of hum that approximates “thank you,” matched with Jemma arching against Daisy eagerly.

After spending a good long time on that breast (and leaving a few marks), Daisy moves to the next one. While her mouth is occupied, she lets her right hand slowly stroke down Jemma’s body until she can run her fingernails over Jemma’s inner thighs. 

Jemma absolutely loses it for that move, just like she always has. Even without the gag, her wail wouldn’t be verbal so much as just pleased noise. She obviously can’t spread her legs farther or even really turn them, but she’s trying nonetheless.

“That’s pretty,” Daisy says, glancing up to meet her eyes. “I want to hear more of that, okay?”

Jemma blinks once and twice and three times in agreement. She wants nothing more than to give Daisy what _she_ wants.

“Good girl,” Daisy praises, going back to kissing her. She keeps gently scraping Jemma’s skin with her nails for a little while longer, before reaching up to run her hand over Jemma’s center. “Mm, you _really_ liked that.”

“Uh-huh,” Jemma pants, her hips twitching as she tries to add “Lots.”

Daisy presses one last kiss to Jemma’s breast before she wraps her arm around Jemma and pulls her close, slipping a finger inside her. “You’re so ready for me, huh?” she murmurs in Jemma’s ear. 

“Uh-huh,” Jemma repeats. Her hands curl into fists, like somehow that will help her contain her excitement.

Smirking, Daisy adds a second finger and fucks her slowly. “You’re so pretty, all open and needy for me and making those sweet little noises.”

Jemma shivers a little, trying and mostly failing to nod, just getting the vowels of “I wanna be” out. She’s already deep in her subspace, barely registering anything that isn’t Daisy or their toys.

Daisy speeds up her movements a little, holding Jemma tight against her. “I like you like this,” she says, “just mine. All my girl.”

Jemma moans out a yes. She is, she’s just for Daisy. Sometimes that’s not the case, but right now is the only time that matters, and right now it’s true.

As she’s thrusting into Jemma, Daisy adjusts the angle of her hand slightly so she can use her thumb to rub at Jemma’s clit as well. “How’s that?” she asks playfully in Jemma’s ear. “You like that, huh?”

“Uh, uh-huh,” Jemma pants, feeling lightning go through her body.

“C’mon, you can be louder than that. You want me to keep going, don’t you?”

Jemma gasps at that, hearing it as a challenge and a little bit of a threat all at once. (A sexy threat, but still.) She takes the deepest breath she can manage and then absolutely wails.

“Yeah, there you go,” Daisy says encouragingly. “Pretty girl, doing whatever I say.”

Jemma hums her agreement, eyes wide. What she means to say next is “Yours.”

“Uh-huh,” murmurs Daisy, moving her hand a little faster. “Hey, you know what we haven’t done in a little while, honey?”

Jemma furrows her brow.

“Edging.” Daisy’s still fucking her with her fingers, but she stops rubbing her clit. “I think that sounds fun.”

Jemma’s eyes go even wider. She knows it will be, but she also knows she’s about to be absolutely in for it. Still, she wants to please and impress Daisy. She can handle it.

Daisy grins, a little evilly, and pulls her fingers out of Jemma. “How are you feeling, honey?” she asks, knowing the answer already, but also knowing trying to answer will drive Jemma crazy.

Jemma is thinking “I want you,” and there’s no point in playing coy, so she tries to say it, but of course it comes out little more than a needy whine.

“Ssssh,” Daisy murmurs, petting Jemma’s hair. “I know, you need me real bad, huh? It’s really cute, how desperate you are.”

Jemma tilts her head against Daisy’s hand (or, well, she tries and the collar mostly stops her) and whimpers. She’s not sure which thing she’s responding to, or if she’s trying to agree or beg or what. Daisy will decide for herself.

Daisy pets Jemma’s hair for another minute or so before stepping back and kissing her on the gag lightly. “What if I used my mouth on you next, would you like that?”

“Uh-huh,” Jemma squeaks, sounding like she almost can’t believe the offer.

“Mmm, okay.” Daisy kisses across her collarbone first, slowly and reverently, then moves down her body, taking her sweet time. 

Jemma shudders, rolling her hips as best she can without totally losing her balance.

“Careful, honey,” Daisy murmurs, stroking Jemma’s hip. “You have to stay up or I’ll stop.”

This makes Jemma whine, but she’s not particularly surprised. It’s a pretty reasonable request, given her position. She can do that.

Satisfied that Jemma’s gotten her point, Daisy kisses across Jemma’s stomach, then moves lower. “I love taking care of you like this,” she says, then leans in to start lapping at Jemma. 

Jemma lets out a shaky breath and mumbles her thanks, or possibly just her agreement that she loves it too.

Daisy goes slow, since Jemma’s already soaked and she doesn’t want this to be over too quickly. She carefully traces Jemma’s folds with her tongue, letting out little noises of pleasure as she does to let Jemma know how good she tastes.

Honestly, it’s a testament to Jemma’s will (and her desire to be good for Daisy) that she hasn’t come already. She sort of feels like she’s about to lose her mind, but in the sweetest way, and each stroke of Daisy’s tongue or delighted hum feels like it might be the one to do her in.

Daisy can feel how Jemma’s trembling with the effort of holding off her orgasm, and she loves it. She rolls her tongue around Jemma’s clit, not directly touching it but just teasing her, just to see what she’ll do.

Jemma’s hips twitch, but she’s as careful about it as possible, and she moans out what’s clearly a swear word.

Smirking, Daisy backs off a little, just lightly licking at Jemma’s center again. “So good,” she whispers, moaning loudly against Jemma’s skin.

The next noise Jemma manages is practically a scream, though of the most delighted kind. She doesn’t know if Daisy means she tastes good or is being good or both, but she wants to hear it again, as many times as possible.

Daisy keeps that up for a few more minutes, then, when she can tell Jemma’s barely hanging on, she pauses. “Y’know,” she says, overly casual. “I think it might be fun to switch to something different for a little while.”

Oh, Jemma should have seen that coming! She should have been able to guess. She shouldn’t be so completely taken aback by this. It’s honestly embarrassing, how desperate she feels.

“Don’t worry,” Daisy says, pressing one last quick kiss to her clit to make her squeak. “I’ll let you watch.” She stands up carefully, then turns Jemma around so she’s facing the bed. “I just think it’s time for me to give myself some attention,” she says, shucking off her own clothes before climbing onto the bed. She spreads her legs, to give Jemma a good view, before she reaches down and slips two fingers inside herself. “Oh, honey,” she moans. “I’m so wet just from giving you all that attention.”

Jemma whimpers desperately, her gaze laser-focused on Daisy’s hands.

“And you look so hot, all done up and pretty just for me,” Daisy sighs, fucking herself slowly. She’s pretty sure she won’t last long, but she wants to tease Jemma for as long as she can. “I bet you wish you were doing this for me, huh?”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh,” Jemma moans. She’s clenching her fists so tight she’s white-knuckled, because she can’t do much else, but she does love being pretty for Daisy.

Daisy moans along with her. “Such a good girl, I missed you so much. I missed making you a needy mess.”

Jemma nods as best she can. That’s what she is, that’s what she’s missed too.

It doesn’t take long until Daisy can feel herself about to tip over the edge. “Watch me, honey, watch me,” she gasps, and lets herself come loudly. After all, this is as much a show for Jemma as it is for her.

Oh, and Jemma watches, she watches as fiercely as she’s ever watched anything in her life. She can’t believe her luck.

Once Daisy’s calmed, she flops backward onto the bed for a second to fumble for the box of tissues on the bedside table. “Like that, huh?” she asks with a little smirk, sitting back up and wiping off her fingers. 

“Uh-huh,” Jemma breathes out, after a moment following it up with a garbled attempt at “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Daisy murmurs, going over to kiss Jemma’s gag. “Now, for the big finish do you want my mouth or fingers, or one of the toys?”

Jemma’s a little too far gone to choose between three lovely options, to be honest. All she can do is lean just a little forward against Daisy and try her best to shrug. She just wants Daisy.

“Aw,” Daisy says, wrapping an arm around her. “Okay, let’s go with fingers then. That way I can hold you close during, yeah?”

All Jemma can do is squeak her approval. She’s going to need that, with how trembly she’s already feeling.

Daisy giggles. “I’ve got you.” She starts fingerfucking Jemma while teasing around her clit. There’s no point in taking it slow, since Jemma won’t take long either way.

Jemma practically purrs. She’s a mess in basically every way she could, in fact, be a mess, but she doesn’t care, not when she feels so good and she’s made Daisy so happy.

“Mm, you’ve done so well, honey,” Daisy says into her ear. “Kept yourself under control for me. I’m so proud of you. I can feel how close you are but you’re still trying to wait, aren’t you?”

Jemma nods. She knows how it goes.

“So good for me,” Daisy murmurs. “I want to really hear you let go, alright?”

Jemma’s eyebrows go up, as if asking _right now_?

“Yeah, come on, come for me, honey.”

So Jemma does, almost screaming as she really lets the orgasm wash over her. She can barely keep track of her own body beyond the specific feelings of pleasure, but that’s perfect. That’s exactly how she wants to be right now. Just her and Daisy and being delighted together.

Daisy keeps touching her all through it, whispering praise until Jemma’s body flops against her and her scream fades to a series of soft whimpers. “Good girl,” she says, wiping off her right hand before using it to pet Jemma’s hair. “That was worth the wait, yeah?”

Jemma whines her nonverbal agreement. Her eyes are closed, like she’s trying to limit sensory input in the overwhelming, beautiful aftermath.

Understanding this, Daisy just strokes her hair and back awhile, letting her bask. “You make me so happy,” she says. “Just...it’s crazy that I got that job at SHIELD because of happenstance, basically, and that’s how we met, and we’ve been through so much together. I can’t wait till we can have this every day if we want.”

Jemma makes another assenting noise, pawing somewhat inefficiently at Daisy with her cuffed hands. Her knees are dangerously close to buckling, but she doesn’t mind. She knows Daisy has her.

Daisy giggles again. “Here, let me start getting you undone, ‘cause I think it’s time for you to lay down.” She starts with the handcuffs, first one and then the other, and gently rubs at Jemma’s elbows as they straighten out. 

This makes Jemma laugh a little, albeit fondly, as she stretches her arms out.

Next Daisy removes the collar, slowly and carefully, and rubs her thumbs down Jemma’s neck. “There you go,” she says. “Gag or bar next?”

Jemma shrugs, but she nods toward the bar. That will require less follow-up.

“Gotcha.” Daisy kneels down to unbuckle it, rubbing her ankles a little also. “There we go,” she says, popping back up to set it on the bedside table. “Now the gag.” She reaches around Jemma’s neck to unbuckle it, then gently works it out of Jemma’s mouth and wipes it off. “Hi.” She kisses Jemma on the mouth.

“Hi-iii,” Jemma sighs. She honestly seems a little high; it’s one of _those_ subspaces.

“C’mon,” says Daisy, gently tugging her down onto the bed so they’re laying side by side. She drapes an arm over Jemma and pulls her close. “You’re so cute.”

“How come?” Jemma asks, because she wants to hear it.

“Well, right now it’s ‘cause you’re all sweet and floppy and snuggly. But in general it’s cute to see you relax and be so comfortable with me. And also you’re cute when you’re needy.”

“I’m always comfortable with you,” Jemma says earnestly, nuzzling into Daisy’s neck.

“That means a lot to me. Same to you, okay?”

“Yeah.” Jemma kisses Daisy’s neck about as innocently as possible. “I feel safe with you. Safe and cared for.”

Daisy sighs happily. “Good. That’s all I want.” She gently tilts Jemma’s head to give her another kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jemma murmurs. “And, and what you said before, I agree.”

“Wait, which part? I said a lot of things and some of them were just horny brain talking.” 

Jemma giggles. “About how we met, and it was so random,” she says. “But… but here we are. Even after all the rubbish we’ve been through. And it’s beautiful.”

“Oh, right.” Daisy smiles. “Yeah.” She traces her finger over Jemma’s cheek, which has faint lines from the gag straps. “God, I’m lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky too,” Jemma says. “I… I know I haven’t been easy.”

“Psh, and you think I _have_ been?” Daisy strokes her hair. “That’s kind of the point. If shit were easy then it would be boring.”

“Which one of us sprung a surprise toddler on the other?” Jemma asks wryly.

Daisy laughs. “Okay, fair, but which one of us almost got herself killed trying to save the world like eight times?”

“I guess I’ve only almost gotten myself killed a few times,” Jemma snarks. “Though I’m fairly sure I win at being kidnapped most.”

“I dunno, I think we’re almost even on the ‘being kidnapped’ scale,” Daisy teases. “I think maybe that’s just a commonality in SHIELD agents.”

“Maybe almost, but come on,” Jemma says, rolling her eyes. “My being kidnapped started to feel like an honest-to-god real-life meme by the end.”

“A little, yeah, true. Sorry.” Daisy squeezes her hand. 

“I mean, I’m alright,” Jemma says. “I don’t miss that part of the job at all, but I made it out.” She wrinkles her nose, obviously thinking about everyone that _didn’t_ , but that’s too upsetting to go off about right now. Instead, she smiles at Daisy again. “Thanks largely to you, you know.”

Daisy shrugs modestly. “I was just trying to keep people safe, including you. Especially you.”

“Same to you,” Jemma murmurs. “I’d have done anything to keep you safe. Still would.”

“Aw,” Daisy says, kissing her. “Same to you, Jem.”

Jemma lets out a happy sigh. “We’re really going to be okay, aren’t we,” she says.

“Yeah, I think so. Barring any alien invasions, but I kind of doubt that’s what you meant.”

“I guess there’s always that chance, but yes,” Jemma says. “I mean… we’re going to be okay, together, living in the world. Even if we don’t have all of the answers yet, we’ll figure it out, and we’re together and we can do it.”

Nodding, Daisy rests her forehead against Jemma’s. “Yeah. We can.”

“It’s odd, isn’t it,” Jemma muses. “After spending so long just mission to mission, disaster to disaster, it turns out that what comes next and what lasts is almost scarier to sort out.”

“I guess so, but I’d rather figure it out with you and Alya and Danny than anybody else.”

“Thank you,” Jemma says again, because she can’t not.

“Aw, thank _you_ , honey. Anything else I can do for you?”

“Just being like this is nice,” Jemma says. “Just being yours.”

“Okay.” Daisy closes her eyes for a second, utterly content. “You’re incredible and I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Jemma hums. “I love this little interlude we’re having, and I love the future we’re going to make together.”

Daisy gives her another quick kiss. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> One of the clips that Fitz made them show at his funeral was [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiZq_n02vnrAhUJuZ4KHZb4CWMQyCkwAHoECAkQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DTKOrr4XRbg8&usg=AOvVaw0WIKhRRynyghKMRILsPdf8).


End file.
